News

Them Cheatin' Genes

Just when we thought we had heard every justification for cheating--"I was sleepwalking," "I was doing it for you," "It depends what your definition of 'is' is,"--some crazy scientists are now trying to tell us that men with certain genes may be more likely to stray and end up divorced.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden singled out a protein that responds to a bonding chemical called vasopressin. Men with one variant of the gene tended to be single or to have significantly higher rates of dissatisfaction within their marriages, and men with two copies of the gene were twice as likely to have had a marriage crisis in the past year compared to those without it.

"There are, of course, many reasons why a person might have relationship problems, but this is the first time a specific gene
variant has been associated with how men bond to their partners," researcher Hasse Walum told The Telegraph.

Scientists say that now they know the gene exists, in the future there will be potential to develop drugs that could help marriages stay together longer.

And you thought Viagra was making things interesting!

We're not sure how we would feel if we knew our partner was only remaining faithful because his meds were keeping him from straying. What do you think?

Hard to read about this when you are the one being cheated on. I can't understand why he has cheated on me when his ex wife cheated on him and he was devastated. I could not get him to take his antidepressants, he doesn't have a problem taking his Viagra for someone else though, and lying about how he hadn't touched her. Don't know if he would take a pill to keep us together, especially if he is really excited about the other slut he is messing with. Sorry I am bitter!!!!

Yes, I read this article today and found it interesting indeed. The research idea started from noticing the vasopressin variations in voles and their mating behavior. Thank goodness we are more advanced than voles! The researchers also mentioned that they were sure their study would certainly be used as an excuse for men who cheat even though they acknowledge that the gene variation is one of a multitude of factors in why a man cheats. I don't remember reading about making drugs to keep couples together -- I would like to hope that couples would go to a counselor before they went the drug route for relationship problems, but seeing as how therapy is becoming more of a luxury these days, I wouldn't be surprised if doctors merely recommended a pill to stop infidelity.

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